Crime rates fall across West Craven

Crime figures for West Craven show a decrease in offences in both September and October.

Colne and West Craven Community Sgt Kim De Curtis presented the figures at Pendle Council’s November West Craven Committee meeting.

Figures for September this year showed a reduction of two offences from September 2011, down from 44 to 42, while October’s numbers were down by more than a third on same period last year, decreasing by 22 offences from 56 to 34.

In September, Sgt De Curtis said an issue with parking at Kelbrook School and an increased number of police patrols in Earby had resolved criminal damage and anti-social behaviour problems respectively.

Coun. Chris Tennant said he welcomed the news regarding efforts to tackle anti-social behaviour in Earby and raised an issue of people travelling into the town from Colne causing trouble, which police said they were also aware of.

Coun. David Whipp also aired concerns about an increase in the number of pickup trucks driving around Barnoldswick looking for scrap metal.

In response, the police urged people to phone in with the registration details of pickup trucks or flat-back vans if they have any concerns or see anything suspicious.

Also at the meeting, Pendle’s new police chief, Insp. Paul Goodall, revealed that the average police response time to the most serious calls in the last three months was six minutes 28 seconds.

Of the 40 or so calls in that period, only one failed the 15 minute time limit at 17 minutes 42 seconds.

Insp. Goodall, who is in the process of taking over from Insp. Phil Davies, introduced himself saying: “My background is very much in neighbourhood policing. I’ve been a PC, sergeant and an inspector for 24 years.”

He said that he hoped to bring his experience adding: “I am here to the best for the community and the best I can deliver.”